Broken
by Skipp Ryan
Summary: Max kicked out the last two members anyone ever expected, one year later they have finally begun to heal only to have something new thrown at them Will it reopen old wounds or bring healing? Can these two handle the challenge life is throwing at them?
1. Chapter 1

**I have been reading alot of split flock Fan Fictions lately, and while reading a very awesome one something occored to me,**

**I began to put this thought into a paragraph, and then into a chapter,**

**and finaly into a story,**

**and this is it.**

**James patterson owns the characters, and whatnot.**

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**Twenty Four and Sixteen, Alone in the world.**

Everyone always made me out to be the bad guy, because I left her once, because I was quiet. No one ever expected it to turn out the way it did. Everyone always assumed I would leave her; I would leave her and strike out on my own leaving behind a broken shell of a woman. No one, not even me, ever expected her to leave me. To take the flock, and leave behind a broken shell of a man but she did. She left me and took the flock with her. All of the flock, aside from the one everyone thought she would never ever leave, even if she did by some freak accident did leave me. Angel and I live in an apartment in Louisville Kentucky. Jeb pays for it. He runs tests on us every once in a while, well on me, I won't ever let him near Angel. The way I see it, a getting blood taken and running on a treadmill while hooked up to a bunch of monitors of my own will is worth having a roof over our heads. We have been in this apartment for a month, we will only stay here a little longer before the need to move kicks in again.

I suppose in reality Max didn't leave Angel behind. Angel stayed with me. She was what kept me going in life now. Angel needed me to get up in the morning, Angel needed food, Angel needed me to at least appear to be marginally okay. Even if she knew I wasn't. But It was because of Angel that I was getting up this morning; to help get breakfast going. I was half way decent when it came to coking, nowhere near as good as Iggy, but Iggy wasn't here. Gazzy wasn't here. Nudge wasn't here. She wasn't here. It was just me and Angel, living off Jeb's monthly checks.

"Hey Fang, do you think we could go flying?" Angel asked. My Angel, Max never mentioned my role in the flock, aside from my roll to her. She never mentioned that Angel was as much my little girl as she was Max's. She had always been more Max's baby though, until the fight. Angel sided with me. I will never know why she sided with me but she did. So now Angel is my Angel, my little girl. She isn't really a little girl anymore. At twelve years old she is beginning to think about boys and becoming a woman. But she will always be my little girl.

"Yeah Angel if you want to." I told her.

"Are you sure, if you don't want to we don't have to, I was just thinking we could fly around."

There was a time when just flying was my favorite thing in the world. When I was flying I was free, but now it didn't bring me the joy that it once did. I still fly. I'm not completely dead. I am trying to move on. I never will, but I'm trying. Flying isn't bad it just doesn't make me happy. Running makes me happy. Angel makes me happy.

"Fang, you are thinking to yourself like someone else is listening again," Angel told me. "You should start blogging again. You need an outlet."

That's right the blog is gone, everything from our old lives is gone only the wings remain as a reminder of the flock. "Oh, sorry Angel, no it's cool let's go flying today. Perhaps we can go swimming too."

Angel grinned, "Okay."

We ate breakfast in silence before heading out to fly. "So, there is this movie coming out called Valkirie, and we have to go see it." Angel told me as she danced through the air. I smiled at her as she flipped and twirled through the air. Angel had saved my life by staying with me, no one else would have, and even then no one else would have understood. She knew it, I knew it. Angel was the reason I wasn't emo, and maybe I was emo, I don't know,-depressed and broken for sure- but emo was something I strived not to be. So every once in a while I would smile at Angel or at something she said, but it never reached my eyes. Max left me a year ago, and turned my life upside down. She hadn't been there when I needed someone to lean on. That is all I had ever been to her, someone to unload on. Nothing more, nothing less.

"We should move again. I'm tired of Kentucky." Angel said. "Do you think we could go to New York? Or would that be hard on you?"

"Angel we can go where ever you want." I told her.

"Sweet, we are going to the Big Apple!" Angel yelled to the sky.

We were just two kids, a sixteen and twenty four year old who were clinging to life, we would never grow up, we would never truly heal-Angel would more than I could, but even then she would always have a scar from what happened to the flock- but we would survive, it was what we were made for. Survival.

That night we packed up our lives into two very nice backpacks, one black one dark blue. Angel had gone dark blue a year ago. We flew half way to New York, and crashed in the trees of a forest somewhere in Northern West Virginia. We could have made it all the way by morning without being too exhausted but there was no reason too, we simply took our time it wasn't like anyone was waiting on us.

**I've never written a story like this, so let me know if it's good,**

**if it is I'll keep going, if not...**

**It's cool if you don't like it, I totaly understand :-)**

**Skipp out**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thankyou to those who reviewed!**

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**And Then There Were Two**

**Third person**

Angel sat in the corner of the hotel room watching her family fall apart over the top of her book. Horror rooted her to the ground. They couldn't fight, Max and Fang never fought, especially in front of the flock. There wasn't even a reason for the fight as far as Angel could tell, Max was just yelling at him. Fang sat on the bed taking it, not because he deserved it, or he wanted to hear it, he had heard it all before, he took it because Max was over the edge, and he knew his mate well enough to know that defending himself would only make it worse. So he took it, nodding and saying sorry for things that weren't his fault, all because he loved her. Angel continued to watch in horror and pain, mostly Fang's pain. It echoed in her mind and it hurt so she watched as the closest thing she had to a mother tore the closest she had to a father apart.

Angel wanted to cry, they weren't even fighting over anything. They were literally fighting over nothing. Nudge was crying. Max had lost it; none of them had ever seen her like this, not even Fang. Max yelled and yelled till she couldn't yell anymore. Max then set into motion a chain of events that the flock had never even dreamed was possible. "I can't do this anymore Fang. We are done." With those last three words Angel's world came crashing down around her.

Fang did the only thing he could do in a situation like this, he retreated into himself like he had done at the school. His eyes grew almost dead, and his mind seemed to shrink.

Max knew him well enough to know that how badly she had just hurt him. She knew that for her to cause him to retreat the way he had, she had hit him harder than he could handle, but she didn't care. "I don't want you in the flock anymore."

Angel gasped, how could she? He was her right hand man, her mate, her rock. She knew that he depended on her, that she kept him going like he had kept her going, only she did it for him on a daily basis. Fang had left himself vulnerable to her and too her alone, and for Max to abuse that as she had was low, very low.

"Angel, Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, let's go." Max said.

The rest of the flock slowly started to move, a sense of surreal had washed over them. It hadn't gotten to Angel though; it was all real she was hearing thoughts so it wasn't a dream. It was real, Max was leaving her Fang. It would be the biggest mistake of her life-Angel knew-but she was going to do it, she was going to leave him and she wasn't going to come back. Angel stayed rooted to her spot in the corner. She didn't want to choose, Max was her leader but it was Fang who held her when she had nightmares.

She could do nothing but listen to Fang fall apart inside. Max would leave and take the flock with her. The only two reasons he had for life would be gone. Without a reason to live, he would cease to live. He would die.

Anger flared inside Angel. It wasn't fair. Fang didn't deserve this, the flock didn't deserve this. The flock would fall apart without Fang, because Max kept the flock going and Fang kept Max going. They wouldn't be the flock anymore.

"Angel, let's go." Max said quietly. There was no regret in her voice, no acknowledgement in her mind to the fact that this was her fault, and that this was a mistake.

Angel made her decision. One of them needed her; the other would have to live without her. "No." Angel whispered as tears began to fall.

"What?" Max asked shakily.

Angel took a deep breath and focused on Fang, she could do this. Fang needed her, Max could do without. "No, I'm staying with Fang." She whispered standing and moving to stand beside the bed.

"Why?" Max whispered, hurt that Angel hadn't chose her.

Good, she needed to be hurt to, she deserved to suffer, Angel told herself. It didn't feel right though, she didn't want to hurt Max. She never wanted to hurt Max. "Because this is wrong, and it will destroy the flock." Angel whispered, "Take him back or get out." That was the ultimatum, Fang and Angel or no Fang and Angel; she couldn't leave him because he needed her.

"Angel-"

Angel closed her eyes, "Get out!" She yelled. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she was fifteen Max had been fourteen when she took up the responsibility of leader; Angel could make her own decisions now. She had learned how to function on her own. With those two words Angel did the unthinkable, She turned on her leader, her role model and her mom. Max had turned on Fang first though. She was putting him on the brink of death by leaving him.

The flock left the hotel room. She herd her brothers thoughts of fair well and good luck and sorrow. It hurt. Nudge was last she turned back with tears in her eyes she mouthed "Sorry" She raised her hand to her face,_ Call me_. Angel nodded. They were following orders and doing what was best for survival. Angel herself felt the pull to go with Max, because she promised the best chance of survival, and that's what they were built for. Angel had no grudge against them, only Max. She had to have a grudge against her because that way she wouldn't miss her.

Angel sat down beside Fang, "And then there were two." She whispered.

Fang turned to her, he was barely there. He was broken, hurt and scared, but he was there, and she would cling to that little part of him that was there. He would not heal easy, but Angel understood how Fang worked. He was a protector and as long as he had someone to protect, he had a reason to live. Angel would be that reason. She hugged him. With time, and her help, he would begin to heal. He would never fully recover, he would always have a scar, but she would help him heal as much as he was capable of. He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. She vowed that one day; she would make a smile reach his eyes.

Then when he did heal, she could tend to herself; she blocked out her feelings and focused on her older brother, her broken surrogate father. He needed her, he really needed Max, but Max wasn't coming back so she would have to do.

**Angel **woke up with a start. She looked around to see Fang on the branch below her. He was asleep, that was good; he hadn't been sleeping much lately. She jumped down to the ground and walked silently-for she was just as silent as Fang was now-away where she wouldn't wake him.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

"Hello?" A familiar deep husky, sleepy voice answered.

"Angel." Angel whispered identifying herself.

"Angel? Angel! How are you? How is Fang?" The voice asked.

Angel smiled, "I'm as good as I can be, Fang, he's the same." She whispered.

"I'm sorry." The voice said ringing with remorse and sincerity.

"I know, I understand."

"Where are you?"

"No way, just because I understand and I still love you, doesn't mean I trust you. How is every one there?"

The voice sighed, "Just like you said we would be, we're falling apart, infarct, we think Max and Nudge have been caught. After you left it kind of became every man for himself. It's just me and Iggy here we won't turn on each other, but Max may have already turned on us and we don't know it. Max and Nudge disappeared nine months ago." Gazzy said.

Angel sighed, "She wouldn't. She would have at least told you that you were out."

"I don't know anymore Angel, She left Fang, and she let you go with him, anything is possible. I miss you so much Angel. I should have backed you up. I'm your brother and I didn't back you up. I'm so sorry."

"You were just going where you had the best chance of survival, you couldn't hear his thoughts, this is Max's fault and no one else's." Angel said. If she hadn't heard Fang falling apart and losing it she would have gone with Max too. She was glad she didn't though. Fang was her brother and she loved him just as much-more now-than Max. He was healing, more than she had expected him to in a year.

"That doesn't make me regret it any less." Gazzy said sighing.

"I miss you too." Angel said, "I have to go now, I'll talk to you later. Bye Gazzy, I love you." She whispered.

"Same here Angel, same here." Gazzy whispered.

Angel shut the phone and climbed back up into the tree. It wasn't that she didn't want Fang to talk to the flock; it was that she knew that it would reopen the wounds when he hung up, and he wasn't much of a talking person anyway. She sighed and settled into the crook of the tree and went back to sleep.

She couldn't wait to get to New York, she didn't know why, but she really wanted to get there.

**Well?**


	3. Chapter 3

Well I am going to asume that you like it and post the next chapter, please review!

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**Griffins and New York**

**Fang pov**

We landed in New York City around noon and grabbed hotdogs from a vendor. The place was hard to deal with; I didn't like people, much less hordes of people. We found an old two room apartment, that the tenant let us rent out without asking questions as long as we paid. Normally they wanted ID and birth certificates.

The apartment was small, it was pre furnished with two twin beds in one room and a full in the other. There was a couch, a table with four chairs, and a coffee table in the living room that was adjoined to the kitchen. Angel took the room with the twin beds, leaving me with the full. I dropped my backpack down on it and sighed. Max was suppose to be here with me, this was supposed to be our room, I wasn't supposed to be alone. I missed her, despite what she had put me though, the pain she caused me, I would take her back in a heartbeat. I loved her, regardless, I wished I didn't. She hurt me and she hurt Angel but I did.

"Hey Fang, look at this." Angel called from the living room.

I cleared my head of depression as much as I could and went back out to her. She had a book in her hands. Angel always had a book, she had read everything.

"Look at this, it's called a griffin," She told me. I sat down and peered at the picture; it was only a drawling but it was very realistic. The animal was somewhere between an eagle and a lion from what I could tell. "It is a hybrid like us; only, no one has ever seen them. It says here that they are mythological creatures that guard the kingdom of heaven. You were right about the lion and the eagle thing." She handed it to me, "They are way cool."

I looked down at the picture in front of me, the animal had the head of an eagle, and it had the wings of one too, this one was jet black, It was reared up on its rear legs, which were lion legs, with its wings flared out, it had the body and tail of a loin, but its front claws were talons, it was remarkable.

"It says that Griffins are a symbol of the sun, wisdom, vengeance, strength, and salvation. It also says that in other cultures they are said to be fierce warriors, protectors; that they are loyal to their mate, they are wild, and will yield only to those they deem worthy, they are quiet but wise, and very few humans can understand them." She continued. "I thought you would think it was cool."

I nodded, "They are awesome Angel, where did you get this?"

"Jeb, I hadn't looked at it yet though."

"Can I look at it when you are done?"

"You can look at it now, I actually have a book I'm reading right now, I was just flipping through this one and the griffins caught my eye." She told me.

"Thanks Angel."

"No problem Fang." Angel said.

I went back to my room and put the book on the bedside stand. Then I sat down on the bed and pulled my cell phone out. I called Jeb to tell him where we were. It is still weird to me that I can trust him, but I can, I just know.

"Hey Jeb, it's Fang."

"Fang? Where are you and Angel, where are you headed, I've been looking all over for you." He said franticly.

"We're in New York; we are going to stay here for a while too."

"Okay okay, that's good, stay there, keep a low profile, and meet me at the cafe Harriet in two weeks at twelve o'clock for lunch."

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I can't talk about it over the phone; I need to see you in person." He said.

"Okay, I guess we will see you then." I said before shutting the phone. Something was up, something that wasn't going to be fun.

I knocked on Angel's door softly, then I broke down, I was a pathetic excuse for the person I use to be, I couldn't even knock on a bedroom door without thinking of her. I stepped back from the door, staggering at the pain of it, Max had a door once, I knocked on it before I went in, I had knocked on her door when I first asked her out; we had been staying with her mom. I had knocked on her door before I went in and realized that I loved her. This was pathetic, it was a door! I sat down and pulled my knees up and my wings around me. I shouldn't be so weak. It had been a whole year and still even the sound of her name made my breath catch and a lump rise in my throat. I don't know how long I stayed there curled up in a ball thinking about her, but when I finally pulled myself back together Angel was sitting by my side.

"You aren't pathetic, and you don't act like a girl when you think about her." Angel whispered. "She was your mate, you shouldn't be healing fast. We have fast healing but that is only the physical, the emotional healing is slow and hard. You will get there." She told me. "Everyone has their moments of weakness Fang, even you, you don't need to feel ashamed of them, and I won't ever tell anyone. I can keep a secret." She continued.

"Thanks Angel." I whispered.

She nodded, "You needed to tell me something." She thought for a second, "Something about what Jeb said."

I searched back, what had he said? Oh, right, "He wants us to stay here and lay low, he is going to meet us later next Thursday. He sounded anxious. We need to keep our heads up this for the next two weeks."

She nodded, "Kay, got it."

I hugged her and stood up, "We need to go get some stuff, I told her."

She nodded, "This place is totally barren,"

"Angel, you read too much."

She smiled and we headed out to find supplies for the apartment.

We found everything we needed, a microwave, a punching bag, a few clocks, and Angel got a lava lamp.

We set up the punching bag first, we always bought a punching bag, just because we hadn't been attacked since Jeb started paying us didn't mean we felt safe. We kept in shape, and we trained every day. Angel knew everything I knew, she could sneak up on people, and she could walk silently like I did. She was good at it too, almost as good as me. We ate microwave popcorn that night if there is one thing that we can make amazingly well, it is microwave popcorn.

***

"Angel, you want to go check out the library?" I asked as we ate bagels at a café two blocks down from our apartment.

Angel nodded, "Sure."

We finished off our bagels and headed down the mess of streets that make up New York City. We found the library and walked in, it was huge, four stories high, I turned to Angel, "meet back here in two hours, and you know what to do if anything goes wrong." I don't know why I said this; we hadn't been attacked since the flock left.

Angel nodded.

I headed up to the non-fiction section and sat down in a chair I pulled out the griffin book and opened it up, it was a distraction, and there was something about the griffin that struck me as interesting, so I read it the way I had read Max's books after she left, I could quote all four of them, I had a tattered paperback of the third in my backpack, I had chosen it as the one to keep because I couldn't carry them all, Angel wouldn't let me. She didn't like the way I read them, she thought they only hurt me, and she was probably right. I couldn't leave it though; it was my connection to her, my small ray of hope that maybe at one time she had loved me.

I read though the history, and the descriptions trying to find what it was about these creatures that interested me so much. Nothing in it was definite, it was all, "Some claim," or, "It has been said that," It was annoying, it was torturous, I toiled over it for a long time, longer than I had planned. When I looked up at the clock I found that I had spent two hours over the book. I got up and went back downstairs to wait for Angel. She met me right on time. And we left.

"Did you find anything good?" I asked as we walked out.

"Yeah, but I didn't get anything, if we stay here for a while I might go get a library card and check some stuff out, but I just looked this time."

I nodded.

She grinned. "I think I like it here." She told me.

I nodded again. I didn't know why but, "I think I like it too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Total does not exist in this story, I forgot him and I am too lazy to add him in. sorry for all you total lovers out there.**

**It Takes Time**

**Fang pov**

Angel and I were sprawled out on the couch with our feet hanging off the arm rests and our heads against each other's in the middle staring at the ceiling. New York was actually pretty cool, We ran all over the city this morning, exploring, we stayed away from the area where we had been with the flock. There was a bookstore four blocks down from the apartment and a cyber café next door to us. The blog was gone but we both had iPods, and we both liked to do random research on things. We had everything we needed here.

"You finished that book, how was it?" Angel asked.

"Cool, but nothing was factual, it was all legends and hearsay." I said.

"What are you wanting to do?" Angel asked.

"I think we should give them our own meaning, make them mean something to us." I told her.

"I like that idea."

"We need them to mean something."

Angel considered this before pushing herself off the couch and grabbing a notebook from her room. I sat up and she sat down beside me. "What should they mean though?" She asked.

She listened to my thoughts as I ran through random ideas in my head.

"hm, they should mean hope, a new beginning, and freedom." Angel decided.

I didn't know why but for some reason it fit. "I like it."

Angel grinned, "You should write the history of them, you are better at writing than I am." She handed me the notebook.

I looked down at it, "What am I suppose to write?"

Angel shrugged, "A story, a description, just whatever." Angel got up and went back to her room leaving me with the book.

I stared at the blank page in front of me, I didn't know what to write. I needed to do more research I decided. I would work on it later. I went and grabbed Max's book and brought it out to the couch. I didn't need it, I knew every single word. I opened it up and found the part at the end where we met up again. I read through it over and over again, had she meant any of it? I dropped the book on the floor and walked over to the corner with the punching bag. Had these thoughts been real? Or had she just wrote it because it sounded good? Did she really miss me when I left her?

I punched the punching bag. Did she ever care? I punched it again. Had it really just been the valium talking? I spun and round house kicked it. Would she have stayed with me if I hadn't left? My blows became faster and harder as the questions and the pain spun in my head. Why did she kick me out? What did I do? Was it my fault?

I kept attacking the black bag in front of me, going faster with every move; my attack became more complex and more heated. It was amazing that I didn't knock it off the wall. Two hours later I ran out of energy and slid down the wall. Sweat mixed with the tears as I attempted to catch my breath. It seemed like everything was closing in on me suddenly. Max didn't love me, she would never come back, I would never heal, ever. I was stuck in that place of depression, I would be okay for a while and then it would all come crashing down on me. It was my fault, I had provoked it. I had picked up the book.

I wanted to go back, more than anything I wanted to go back. I wanted to smile again and to be able to enjoy flying. I missed the flock, I missed my family. The next thing I knew Angel was sitting beside me.

Her face was grave and her eyes far away. "They don't want us back. They aren't family anymore. She left us. This isn't your fault it is hers. It is hers and only hers. They are gone and they aren't coming back. You are healing; it just is taking longer than you want it to. Eight months ago you couldn't even speak to someone without losing it. You are healing. It just takes time"

I didn't acknowledge her; she knew that I had heard her. I just sat in silence trying to push away the pain. Eventually I pulled myself back together. Angel needed me to pull myself back together. "Thanks Ange, let's go get ice cream." I said quietly in a somewhat broken voice. Anything to take the pain away.

Angel nodded and jumped up. "I'll race you." She said.

I nodded, "You're on."

Angel took off running out the door and out to the street. I quickly locked the door behind me and ran after her. I started to feel better as the wind rushed through my hair and I ran after Angel. She stayed where I could see her and I didn't bother to run faster, this was a good speed. We wove through the people always watching one another and everyone else for danger. Angel darted into the ice cream shop just before me. She ran over to the displays of ice cream to pick one out.

"I'll have whatever she's having." I told the cashier.

She smiled and nodded.

Angel smiled at her, "I want three scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough please."

"On second thought, three scoops of orange sherbet." I said hastily. Max liked cookie dough, I couldn't go near it.

"Okay." The cashier said. I paid her and took the two cones. I handed Angel hers and we headed back to the apartment. The ice cream was gone before we got half way home and I was feeling a little bit better.

**Review Please please please!**

**And thank you to those who do and did!**

**Skipp out**


	5. Chapter 5

**Something New**

Jeb would be here any minute; we were sitting at a small booth in the back of the café draining smoothies while we waited for him. We sat side by side, watching the lives of the people around us. I found it hard to believe that I liked New York. I did, no one noticed us here. We didn't have any friends but we didn't want any. No one bothered us; we were free to do what we pleased. It was good. Over the past two weeks we had learned where all the good food was and gotten library cards. We learned that at four in the morning the streets of New York did sleep, and we could run freely. We did, every morning at four we got up and ran all through New York. We stayed away from the places we had been with the flock, and the beach- we never went to the beach. New York was like the griffins, New York somehow gave us hope. The griffins were still a mystery, they had a story for me but I couldn't figure out what it was. It drove me insane, I knew what they were to me, but I couldn't get it out on paper.

"Fang! Angel!" Jeb greeted us sitting down. He had bags under his eyes and he looked like he had been on the road for days.

"Hey Jeb, what's up?" Angel asked.

Jeb frowned fiddling with his tie, "Let's not mince words shall we, I feel that them matter at hand needs to be gotten to the bottom of as soon as possible."

"Well we could do that if you would tell me what the matter is." I pointed out.

Jeb sighed looking nervous, "Fang, I'm not exactly sure how to tell you this, so I'm just going to come out and say it, you're a father."

"What? No! That's not possible, I haven't-That isn't possible!" My head started spinning, I couldn't be a father it wasn't possible.

Jeb sighed, "Fang, I think I have an explanation for that too, eleven months ago you came in for testing and I wasn't there, do you remember if they knocked you out for anything?"

I thought back, that had been forever ago. "Yeah, they did but what does that have to do with anything?"

Jeb sighed looking slightly relived and yet angered at the same time. "I am so sorry Fang, you have to believe me, it had no idea that they would-I never imagined that that would even cross their minds or I would have warned you, I would have made sure I was there." He started out. Then he began a very long, explanation of how they did it, I won't bore you with the details. "…And so that is how it b happened."

I sat there frozen with shock. I was a father, I had a child. "Who is the mother?" I breathed It didn't matter I wouldn't know her anyway, but I had a kid, it is important to know who your kids mom is-I think.

Jeb took a deep breath, "Max."

My stomach churned at the mention of her name. how was that possible? She couldn't be. It was ironic as heck though, I almost laughed. The girl I loved didn't love me but she had my baby. "What?" Angel and I demanded in unison.

Jeb sighed, "They caught her approximately nine months ago, and they injected her before I could stop them."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded feeling dizzy.

"Because, to be honest it was what was best, they monitored her, kept her fed, and took care of the baby. She couldn't have gone to a hospital; she needed to stay there until she delivered the baby."

Itex had Max. My Max-no, she wasn't mine. She didn't love me.

I decided to push that news aside for the moment, "Is it a boy or a girl?" I asked.

"It's a boy. A beautiful healthy little boy."

That was when it hit me, "You want me to get them out, to get the flock and my son out so he can go with Max."

Jeb shook his head, "No, Max doesn't know about the baby-"

"What?! How can she not know that she had a baby? How did she not notice that-" I stopped I didn't want to go into that. "Having a baby is not something a girl can just forget about." I said quietly.

"She doesn't know he is yours though and she thinks he is dead. She only held it for a moment before they took it away."

I shook my head, this didn't make sense. I couldn't be a father. I just couldn't be.

"But you are." Angel whispered.

Jeb shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "Fang, will you help me or not?"

There was a possibility I had a son, there was no way I was going to miss out on a chance to get him. I turned to angel. She nodded, "I'm behind you all the way."

I turned back to Jeb, "Yeah, we're in."

"Good here is how it's going to work."

* * *

"So, what are you going to do?" Angel asked me as we sat in the living room looking over the plan Jeb had given us.

I shrugged, "I don't know. I'll get them out for sure."

"Going back to her isn't going to heal the scars; she still won't love you like you love her. Even if she did take you back it would still hurt because you would know, you would know that it was only because you got her out of there that she let you come back." She whispered.

I sighed, "But can I just let her leave again?"

"Only you can answer that one Fang." Angel said. I had no response to that. "I can if you need me too." She said after a while.

"No, I need to be the one to do this. I can do this. I hope."

Angel nodded, "You can."

"I hope so Angel, I really hope so."

I didn't sleep that night, I hadn't realized before the truth of what Angel had said about me having healed. It was clear now, I could think about the flock and I could see Jeb, and I wasn't so much of a shell of a man anymore. Albeit, I was still broken and clinging to life, but I was more alive now. I could answer Angels questions, and go flying. I didn't fly for the first six months. Angel had been right I had healed some but I had a feeling that whatever happened tomorrow would ether put me back where I was when she left me, or give me new hope.

**I want reviews. I want them really bad.**

**I will not post the next chapter untill I get ten more**

**You can tell me you hate me for being so selfish or that you love it, I don't really care just reveiw please.**

**Skipp out**


	6. Chapter 6

**A very special thank you to OK, all of your reviews made my day. Also thanks to Jaci, Olympiangirl, and The Secret Of Life .**

**I love you all, and I hope you like this chapter**

**Challenge**

**Fang pov**

Angel and I didn't go for a run that morning. Instead we got up around four and started getting ready. We got dressed and went to the café to get "breakfast smoothies" and whatever else we could get. We grabbed energy drinks and then we took to the sky. Flying can do one of two things for you. It can either calm you or it can exhilarate you. It was your choice which you got, you could fly fast and take dives and do flips, or you could take it slow and fly almost lazily. We flew lazily now, calming our nerves and getting ready to go back to The Institute for Higher Living only this time we wouldn't get there through the sewers. We would go through the front door.

Eventually our racing nerves calmed and we landed to walk to the Institute. "So just follow my lead and stay right behind me." I told Angel as we got to the building. I visited an Itex facility once a month, but I never brought Angel with me. I still didn't trust them, but we did what we had to. Neither of us liked the idea of walking in the door but we had a job to do.

Angel nodded. "Are you ready?" She whispered. I hadn't seen her look scared in a very long time.

I nodded. "I'm ready. We can do this." I told her firmly. I took a deep breath and opened the door. I walked to the front desk setting my face in stone as I went. "We have an appointment under the name of Fang." I told the man at the front desk.

He checked his computer and looked back at me. "You are on floor seven, your pass code is GTR8." He said.

Angel and I went to the elevator and followed the instructions going to the seventh floor. We practically dove off the elevator when it got there. I hate elevators. We quickly walked down a hallway to Jeb's New York office. He was waiting for us. He ushered us in and shut the door before handing me a card. "You are going to level two, the pass code is 7756. Got it? 7756. Max and Nudge are there. Get them out of here before you go for your son-And Fang, If Max learns that you know where he is she will take him with her."

I nodded of coarse she would. She was Max.

"He is on level ten. His number code is MF1. The pass code for that level is INB3." He told us handing us another piece of paper. He handed me a thick envelope and I put it in the pocket of my jacket. It was for later. "Now go, hurry, and good luck."

I nodded. "Thanks Jeb," With that we headed back to the elevator. "So level two." I said more to myself than to Angel.

"I'll do it." Angel said. She stepped up to the control pad and pressed the buttons. I stepped back and forced myself to breath slowly. I could do this. The doors opened into a room lined with cages. It made me sick. This was wrong. The room was deadly silent too.

"Split up and let me know if you find them." I whispered. Angel nodded and ran over to the second row of cages. I took the first. I ran down the row looking for Max or Nudge. Most of the crates were empty but there were a couple with half dead experiments in them. I finished with the first row and started on the third row.

I stopped dead in my tracks as I caught sight of a steak of blond hair. Max. I slowly walked towards her, disbelieving that it was really her. Finally I reached her cage. Slowly I bent down and squatted in front of it. It was Max. She was beautiful as always, but she was different, She was harder, more closed off, she had been crying, she had been pregnant. That wasn't what shocked me though, there was something else, something I never expected; She was broken too. It wasn't for the same reason. It wasn't because of me, it was because for nine months she had carried a life other than her own and she had lost it. They had taken it from her and told her it was dead. She looked up to meet my eyes with a look of pure hatred that dissipated in seconds turning to confusion, and a lot of other emotions that I was too distracted to place.

"Fang?" Her voice was hoarse and disbelieving. I felt my stomach clench, it was really her.

I realized that my mouth was hanging open and snapped it up. I put my mask back on; becoming rock hard and uncaring though I wondered if my racing heart had already given me away.

I nodded one quick hard nod and slid the card against the lock. It clicked open and I stepped back. She shot out of the cage and was on her feet in seconds but when she looked at me she looked kind of dazed. My heart pounded in my chest she was so close, all I had to do was reach out and…

"Fang? What are you doing here? You're here, How did you get here? You shouldn't be here. Are are you okay? I-have you been okay?"

I pushed my thoughts and the urge to hug her and tell her she was going to be okay away with some major effort, "Where is Nudge?" I asked keeping my voice level and close to harsh.

Max opened her mouth but Angel answered the question, "I found her! Throw me the key!" She whispered. I turned and tossed the key to her.

Max's head whipped around to Angel, "Angel?"

Max was alive and she would get out of here. I was suddenly able to function again. I sprinted over to where Angel was helping Nudge out of her cage. Nudge looked worse than Max and she wasn't talking. In fact the whole room was deadly quiet. Nudge snapped her wings out as soon as she was out of her cage and shook them out. "ANGEL? FANG?" She hissed staring at us. She had been underfed, she was feeble looking and had huge bruise-like marks under her eyes from lack of sleep.

Max was behind me and was staring at Angel like she was, well, an angel. "Angel," Max rasped.

I needed to tell Max and Nudge to get out of here, I had to let her go, but I didn't want to, I wanted to grab her and kiss her and then fly away with her.

Angel turned on her letting all the pain that she had gone through because of Max show on her face mixed with anger. "What Max?" She snapped.

The look on Angels face did it for me. This was Max's fault; Angel shouldn't have ever had to go through what she went through with me. Max left, she hurt Angel. I couldn't push Max away for myself but I could do it for Angel. I took a deep breath and gritted my teeth, "There is a stairwell over there, take it. Go three stories down then you will find a tunnel, follow it, and it will lead you back to the streets. Get out of here. Go back to your flock." My voice was hard and harsh now, every word stung, they weren't words I wanted to say.

Max stared at me, "Fang, I-I What about you?"

"I'm not part of your flock, you left me, remember?" My voice was deadly quiet.

Max turned and sprinted to the door. Nudge paused and hugged me, "I'm sorry. We made a horrible mistake." She whispered before chasing after Max. I felt horribly cold and broken as I watched them disappear most likely I would never see them again. I couldn't think about that right now. I wasn't done yet. Angel was still with me, I couldn't break down here. I pulled the piece of paper out of my pocket and walked back to the elevator.

I hit the ten button and Angel and I headed upward to find my son. We had to find him and get out of here fast. I was beginning to lose it. She hadn't tried to stay, she hadn't hugged me, and she didn't love me. I had thought that maybe she would have. Angel hugged me as we waited for the elevator to reach its destination, I clung to her. She was my hope, my reason for life.

"Thank you" she whispered. There were tears in her eyes but she didn't let them fall. "I'm sorry that she doesn't."

I pulled her closer and held her for a moment before I let her go, the elevator would stop soon and we would have a baby to find. We needed to find it soon because I was already losing it, I wouldn't last long.

**So I know you probably hate me right now,**

**But I swear it isn't over yet and it will have a happy ending.**

**Also the next chapter will sound a lot like the end but it isn't over yet.**

**We are only half way there.**

**Please stay with me through the depressing-ness**

**Please review and tell me what you think.**

**Skipp out**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed You rock.**

* * *

** Griffin**

**Fang pov**

Angel and I jumped off the elevator and found ourselves in a hospital like area. We walked down the hall not exactly sure where to go but trusting that we would know the place when we did. Panic was trying to take over. The antiseptic smells and the hospital interior had already put us on hyper alert. It was horrible, we didn't want to be here, no one should ever have to be here.

"Fang," Angel stopped and turned. There was a window covering one of the walls, it was the nursery. My stomach churned as I saw the row of infants. They had four infants in that room. It made me sick. Angel found the door and we went inside. We checked each baby, looking for a card that said MF1. I stopped dead in my tracks when I found him. He was tiny, not under fed tiny but tiny. He looked primarily like me, He had jet black hair like mine, and my skin, but he had Max's eyes, her mouth, and her nose. He looked up at me with those chocolate eyes, curious.

I reached out and picked him up. This was my son, I had a son and this was him. When I held him for just a moment time stood still. As I picked him up he smiled, and despite the raging pain, the brokenness and the sadness-which didn't go away- joy ran through me, I was still in pain but this was something different. This baby, my baby, was smiling at me. I smiled back at him in a way that I hadn't smiled in a very long time, for once, it reached my eyes. I felt wings against my arms.

Time started again and I turned to Angel. She had tears in her eyes again and was smiling from ear to ear. I returned he smile, with a smile that only a father can know. "We can't leave any of them here." I told her. These infants didn't deserve a life in cages, or if they escaped one day, they didn't deserve a life on the run. I picked up the second baby and Angel picked up two as well.

Then fate turned against us. A white coat walked past the room. We all froze, him watching us and us watching him. Then he ran. An alarm sounded sending us back into action. Angel opened the door out to the main hallway and we ran. We didn't go back to the elevator; they would trap us in there. Three flyboys appeared from the end we were running from.

"Angel, run faster!" I yelled to her.

The flyboys caught up to us quickly. Angel turned and grabbed one of the babies out of my hands. How she was able to run and carry three babies at a time I will never know. I held the remaining baby in one arm and spun around to kick the flyboy behind me. It fell over but got back up relatively quickly. The second one punched me in the face. They looked and felt a lot more human than they had the last time I saw them.

Adrenaline was racing through my body but having to fight with one arm and keep your attacker away from the baby in your arm was extremely hard.

"Fang! Dead end!" angel called from behind me.

I turned to look behind me, it was probably one of the stupidest things I ever did. I had a lapse of brain activity or something because you never ever turn away from your attacker in a fight it leaves you unprotected. The air rushed out of me as the air rushed out of me as I took a blow to the gut. I huffed and gasped for air before turning back to the flyboys. The third one was attacking too now.

"Huh, your F1 are you not? Aren't you supposed to be dead? M1 left you and you were supposed to die." He sneered. My eyes widened in shock as I kicked him. He wasn't a robot. He was a hybrid. No wonder they had felt so real.

"It didn't take." I said. He punched me in the face causing the world to spin. Suddenly Angel was beside me again. She sent a round house kick to the eraser thing's face. She had put the infants on the floor next to the wall. I ran over and placed the fourth one carefully beside it before returning to Angels side.

Angel grinned at me as we fought, "You know, I almost miss this. We haven't had a good fight in so long,"

Despite the fact that we could die and that my world was falling apart, I laughed. "No you don't." I said as I dodged a punch and returned my own.

"No, you're right, I don't but I do miss the adrenaline rushes."

I nodded. Finally We took care of the flyboys. "So how do we get out of here? There will be more of them after us soon." I said as we picked up the infants.

"We kick that door down." Angel said pointing. I followed her finger to a door on one side of the hallway.

"Okay," I said. We kicked it down with ease, and I have to admit, kicking down a door is kind of fun. We ran down the hallway until we found a window to the outside world. I handed my son and the other infant to Angel before putting my hands over my head and diving into the glass. I took a second to thank God that it wasn't bulletproof or had chicken wire in it. I felt glass scrape my skin as I broke through the window. I kept my wings closed for a fifty foot drop before I unfurled them. I flinched as glass dug into my wings. I flew back to the window and took my son and one of the other babies from Angel.

With two babies in my arms and two in Angel's, we flew off into the sky. No one followed us. We were bruised and battered but a sense of calm had come over us. I wasn't healed. I was still in horrible pain, but I had been stitched, I would heal, and Angel would too. We stopped at an orphanage and handed the three non-winged infants over. They had a chance at a somewhat normal life now. Then we flew to our apartment.

I sat down on the couch cradling my baby in my arms. It stung and drove the glass further into my skin.

Angel sat down beside me, "What are you going to name him?" Angel asked.

I thought for only seconds before it came to me, he was a source of hope, a chance for a new beginning, "Griffin,"

Angel nodded, "It fits him."

His wing moved, flaring out. They were black, with a white underside that was splattered with beige making the white look more like streaks and splotches. I perfect mix of mine and Max's.

"Hey fang, am I his sister or his aunt?" Angel asked thoughtfully. I laughed, I hadn't laughed in a year. It was a good question, Angel was both a sister and almost like a daughter.

"I think you are both." I told her.

She grinned, "He can just call me Angel." We sat in silence watching the infant twist and wiggle in my arms. "You need to get that glass out." Angel said quietly. I nodded and passed Griffin to her.

I headed into my room and grabbed a pair of tweezers off my dresser. I pulled three splinters out of my neck and there was a large cut on my cheek from where the glass had glanced off it. I headed into the bathroom and checked myself out, cataloguing injuries pulling out glass, and cleaning cuts. I had to pull a lot of glass out of my wings. I examined my face in the mirror. I was covered in cuts and bruises and I looked tired but there was light in my eyes, light that hadn't been there since we had been with the flock. Griffin had caused that light. I took a quick shower before I went back out to my baby sister and my son.

She was smiling at Griffin as he slept in her arms. I picked up the first aid kit and sat down beside her. I cleaned her cuts and bandaged the worst ones, the other ones would be fine. She smiled at me, "Thanks." She whispered tiredly.

I nodded, "That's what big brothers are for right?" I whispered back. "Now go take a shower and change into clean clothes. She nodded and handed Griffin to me. She returned some time later looking clean and refreshed. She sat down and leaned her head on my shoulder. I put my free arm around her shoulders. The life we had been dealt wasn't fair. It wasn't easy, but somehow, in moments like these, we found peace. It felt like it had been forever since I had learned that I was a father but in reality it had only been a day. I sat on the couch with Angel sleeping on my shoulder and Griffin sleeping in my arms for what seemed like eternity.

It was only ten in the morning but it felt so much later.

"We need to get out of this apartment. We should find one on the other side of town, one with an actual kitchen. I said when Angel woke up an hour later. Angel nodded.

"We should take the stuff we bought with us this time, since we are only going across New York."

I nodded, "Let's find one first."

We packed up our backpacks, leaving the things we had bought there, we set out across town. We looked at apartment after apartment, looking for the right one. Half of them were too big, half of them were too small. We had to stop at twelve and find food for Griffin, but then we set out again. It was almost three when we finally found one we liked; it had two bedrooms, a small kitchen in the front to the side of the entrance and a large living room in the back as well as a balcony.

The tenant said we could have it cheap and didn't ask for ID. We rented it out and flew back to the old apartment to get the last of our things. We paid off the owner and left. Angel took the small room again, the one with the two twins, and I took the master bedroom. We set up our things before we fell back on the couch in exhaustion.

"Do you want to hold him?" I asked Angel.

She nodded and took him holding him the way I had and smiling at him.

"I'm going to go get some stuff; I'll be back in an hour." I told her.

She nodded, "Kay, I'll take really good care of him Fang."

"I know." I locked the door behind me and found a Wal-Mart. I went in and found a portable baby bed and all sorts of baby things. Then I got food for the week and paid. I dragged it all back to the apartment and put the food away. Then I set up the baby bed in my room and the found places for all the baby stuff.

Then I sat down and watched my baby sister coo at my son. She was happy, he was happy, and I was-more or less happy. I had no idea how to raise a child but angel and I would figure it out. We were still broken and there would still be times when the world would crash down on us but we would take those times as they came to us. We were starting anew, this baby had brought us more healing than we had expected.

Griffin fell asleep around seven, and Angel went to sleep around nine. I sat in my new bed with the notebook in my lap, Griffin meant hope, a new beginning, and freedom, I would make sure Griffin had freedom, and hope, and he was a new beginning for Angel and me. It came to me then, the words and the plot, Griffin. A griffin was a warrior, a protector; a griffin was everything that we stood for. We were all griffins in our own way.

Angel was a warrior, valiant and fierce, yet at the same time, beautiful and kind; I was a protector, living solely for those that I loved. Griffin was hope. There wasn't much more to describe him yet.

I put the pen to paper and began to write.

_Griffin means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, to us it meant hope, a new beginning and freedom. A griffin soars on the wings of eagles as we soar on wings of our own. Griffin was one word, one creature, one name that would change our lives forever…_

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**I beg of you!**

**Skipp out**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you to my reviewers and thanks for the con crit, I appreciate it!**

**Please review people, it gets the next chapter out sooner**

**Phone Call**

**Third person**

Fang looked like crap. Angel and Fang had known that taking care of a baby would be hard, but this wasn't just hard, it was next to impossible. The child did four things in life: eat, sleep, poop, and cry. Fang hadn't slept in a week and Angel had changed more diapers than she could count. Fang was feeding Griffin when his phone vibrated in his pocket; it had been a week since they had found Griffin. Fang pulled it out of his pocket, "Yo," he answered tiredly.

"Fang?" He froze, he knew that voice; he would know it anywhere.

"Max?"

"Fang, I-"

Angel snatched the phone out of his hand and put it to her ear. No, Max couldn't call Fang. Angel raced out to the balcony, ignoring the words coming from the other side, and flew to the roof out of Fang's hearing. "What do you want Max?" She demanded fatigued.

"Angel? Where is Fang?"

"Answer my question." Angel growled sitting down on the dusty rooftop.

"I want you back." Max said quietly.

"What do you mean you want us back?" Angel hissed outraged.

"I was wrong to leave you and I want you back." Max said.

"You just now decided you want us back?"

"Well-not exactly." Max stuttered.

"You want him back because you are broken and you know he can heal you, because he loves you and would do anything for you even after you hurt him like you did. Your flock is falling apart and you know he can pull it back together but you don't care about him. You don't love him like he loves you." Angel snapped.

"I do care about him I just-"

Angel cut her off, "Oh really, you do? It sure didn't look like it when you left! You nearly killed him Max! He wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, wouldn't talk, He just sat on the edge of that stupid freaking bed in agony! I had to force him to eat, for three months Max! He didn't talk for four and when he did all he would do was say your name! You were his world and you knew that! He opened himself up to you and to you alone. He trusted you and you betrayed him. He can't even knock on a freaking door! He breaks down. If you cared about him then where were you when he cried, because he cried, he sobbed for you! It was one of the scariest things I have ever seen, his whole body would shake with it! He couldn't fly, he didn't fly, we were stuck in that stupid hotel you left us in for five months! You left him a broken shell of a man! He is finally starting to heal now; he can say your name without losing it and he can breathe again! You have no idea what we went through! Don't tell me you care about him! You couldn't possibly care about him! I won't let you do that to him again! I can't watch him go through that again!" Angel ranted remembering the first few months. They had been H***. She had almost lost him three times.

"Angel I-" Angel could hear the hurt in her voice. She could hear the pain she had just inflicted. Max deserved it.

"Don't ever call him again. He cannot take that. If you do care about him don't ever call him again." Angel said her voice was deadly and calm now, the way she heard Fang speak when he was murderous. She hung up the phone and flew back down to the apartment. It wasn't fair. She sat down on the couch and cried. She hadn't wanted to yell at Max. She wanted Max to come back. But it had been self preservation. Max wouldn't have stayed with them. She would have left again, and she would have taken Griffin with her. Even if she hadn't taken Griffin it would have killed Fang. He wouldn't be able to handle losing her a second time. Angel couldn't handle him losing it a second time. It would kill her too.

Fang sat down beside her and wrapped an arm and wing around her.

"Fang it's not fair. This isn't fair. I miss the flock, I miss them so much."

"I know Angel, I know," Fang whispered. "It isn't fair, it never will be, we don't deserve what we went through, and you even more don't deserve what you went through. You were forced to become a woman at sixteen, to take care of your twenty three year old brother who was broken and beaten. He had given up, by all means you should have given up on him, but you didn't. You pushed him and pushed him to heal. You were there for him when he lost it. You shouldn't have had to be, you should have been happy; you should have been falling in love with boys and going on dates. You know you saved me. You know that you brought me back." He whispered.

Angel nodded and leaned into him. "I know." She whispered.

"You are the strongest person I know, I couldn't have done what you did for me." He told her ruffling her blonde hair.

She smiled and hugged him. They were always there for each other. They leaned on each other, because that's what family does. Fang was healed enough to take care of her now and she would let him. So she finally let all the pain that she had felt, all the sadness, all the brokenness, and all the hurt that she had felt when the flock left take over and let Fang hold her while she cried.

**Next chapter hopefully up soon**

**Skipp out**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you to all my amazing reviewers!**

**Life Goes on**

**Fang pov**

Angel had been strong for me when I broke down and I was finally strong enough to be me again. She had pushed her problems away so she could deal with mine. Now I was strong enough to help her through hers. She broke down twice that week, and all I could do was tell her that we would be okay. I understood what she had gone through, I knew that compared to my break downs hers were no big deal but that didn't make it easier. I hated to see her in pain. We found ourselves running and flying more. For her sake instead of mine.

Griffin was growing very fast, it seemed. I guess all babies grow fast. Angel had gotten all kinds of books on how to take care of babies, but Griffin wasn't your average baby, he was always hungry and we were constantly running out of formula. Babies aren't easy to take care of, they were up all hours of the night and they cried a lot. Griffin didn't like keeping his wings against his back either; he was constantly snapping them out. We had a hard time taking him anywhere because of it. And he was not following the development maps but we will get to that later

The envelope Jeb had given me contained fifty thousand dollars. We wouldn't be getting checks from Itex anymore, but this one was big enough to last a very long time. All in all we were as close as we could get at that moment to happy.

Angel sat on the couch licking an ice cream cone while I sat on the floor with Griffin. "You see Angel Griffin? You see Angel?" I cooed quietly.

He shrieked in happiness and hit me in the face.

Someone knocked on our door. Angel looked up in alarm and I quickly pushed Griffins wings against his back and was on my feet with him in my arms in seconds. Angel got up and walked cautiously to the door. The knock came again. Angel opened the door, Surprise but not fear crossed her face. "Um, hi," She said.

"Oh, um hi, I, uh, didn't expect you to be my age. Sorry, Mrs. McKean said that you were new, so I thought I would come welcome you." The voice said. It was a boy's voice.

Angel smiled, "Well, hi, I'm Angel."

"I'm Will, I live three doors down."

Angel turned to me and made sure Griffin's wings were hidden before stepping back from the door. "Do you want to come in?" She asked.

"Is that okay with your parents?"

"My brother actually, and yeah he's cool with it."

"You live with your brother?" The boy asked.

"Yeah, come on it."

The boy stepped inside. He had dark red hair and was about Angel's age. "Hi," He said.

I nodded, to him. Name, name I needed a name. There were other girls named Angel, but there weren't many guys named Fang. People might suspect things. "Yo, I'm Blake." Where did Blake come from?

Angel smiled. "And that's Griffin, my nephew."

Griffin screamed gleefully at the mention of his name.

Will smiled, "Um, hi, I'm Will. I uh, brought cookies." He said holding up a bag of sugar cookies.

"Thanks," Angel said.

"Hey, you can sit down if you want, you don't have to just stand there." I said.

He flushed, "Oh, right,"

Angel sat down on the couch and he sat down beside her. I took Griffin into my room and rocked him as I listened to the conversation in the other room.

"So did you all just move to New York or just to a new place?" Will asked.

"We just moved here."

"Oh that's cool, where are you going to school at?"

"I'm homeschooled what about you?"

"I go to Evangel it's five blocks away from here." He said.

"Cool I've seen that school."

"Yeah, it's huge."

"Hey did you see that movie Valkire?" Angel asked after a while.

"Yep, it had to be one of the awesomest movies ever." The boy exclaimed.

"Totally the awesomest movie ever." Angel said.

"You saw it too? Wow, I've never met a girl who likes movies like that! That is so cool."

A ring tone went off in the other room. Will answered, "Hello…Mom…Okay okay, I'll come home right away." He said. "My mom says I have to go home, it was way cool meeting you though, maybe we can hang out some time."

"Yeah, that would be cool." Angel said.

I looked down to find Griffin asleep. I set him in his bed and waited. Three two one: Angel walked into my room and flopped back on my bed. "We have neighbors." Angel mused.

"You like him." I pointed out.

Angel shrugged, "Well he was cute, and funny." She sighed, "He didn't mind that I like boy movies."

"He seemed okay." I agreed.

I flopped down beside her, "I think we will be staying here for a while."

Angel grinned. "That would be cool."

And with that one person entering our lives, life went on. Angel and Will became best friends. We met his mom. They didn't go out but I had a feeling that they would. They were inseparable.

**Please review.**

**Reviews give me inspiration**

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**Skipp out**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you so much for the reviews guys!**

**I am as I said before claiming that Hybrids develop differently than normal human children.**

* * *

**Growing and Healing**

**Fang Pov**

Griffin crawled after me as I headed to the kitchen babbling random voles as he went. I opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of milk. I dropped down to the floor in front of my nine month old son. "Milk." I told him.

He screamed and clapped wildly. I handed it to him and watched him drain it in seconds. He smiled and threw the now empty bottle on the floor. I picked him up and walked out to the balcony.

"Ga! ga!" Griffin screamed.

I climbed up onto the railing and jumped off. Griffin shrieked in excitement and I smiled as we fell. I snapped my wings out and flew up into the sky. I pointed up to the endless blue around us, "Sky."

"Ka!" Griffin screamed.

I smiled and arched backwards pulling us into a nosedive. Griffin spread his tiny three foot wing span and flapped them excitedly. I didn't let him go, He couldn't fly yet. We pulled back up and landed on the balcony again.

"Coooo!"

I smiled and walked back inside. I set Griffin on the floor in the middle of his toys and grabbed my notebook from my room. I hadn't written much before something pulled at my pants leg.

"Da-Da!" Griffin yelled, "Da-da!"

My heart swelled at those two syllables. "Dad" I told him exaggerating each letter.

"Du Du, Da-da Dad!" Griffin yelled. "Dad dad dad dad."

I smiled and picked him up, "Yes, Dad." I echoed in excitement.

"Dad dad dad dad dad dad dad." Griffin babbled.

Griffin said dad. His first word was Dad. I was Dad.

XXX

**Two months later.**

"An-gel" Angel said. "Griffin can you say An-gel?"

"A!" Griffin yelled.

"No Grif, An-gel." Angel said.

Griffin pointed to me, "Dad!"

Angel nodded, "Yes that's Dad, and I'm An-gel."

"A!"

Angel sighed, "One day you will say my name."

Griffin pointed to Will, "Wiwl!"

Will grinned at Angel, "He knows my name." Angel elbowed him in the ribs softly.

"He knows my name too, he just hasn't figured out how to say it yet." Angel said knowingly.

Griffin pointed out to the balcony, "Fwi!! Fyi!" He yelled cackling happily.

Angel grabbed him and hugged him, "No fly Griffin."

"Fly?" Will asked.

Griffin frowned, "No fwi?"

Angel shook her head, "Nope."

Griffin glared, "Fwi!"

I got up and took him from Angel. He was trying to unfurl his wings. "No fly Griffin. Fly later." I whispered as I held his wings against his back.

"Fwi now!" Griffin told me. "Fwi now!"

I sighed, "Angel, We're going to the park call me if you need me."

Angel nodded, smirking at my weakness.

I took Griffin outside into the ally and took off. Griffin laughed and clapped, "Fwi! Fwi! Fwi now!"

I nodded, "That's right Grif; fly now." I said as we rose into the air.

Griffin laughed and unfurled his wings. "Me Tie! Me Tie!"

I grinned, "Okay let's try." I took his hands and let him hang below me. He grinned and flapped his wings as hard as he could.

"Fwi, Fwi!" Griffin said his face screwed up in concentration. Suddenly The weight disappeared. "Fwi!" Griffin yelled in excitement.

He only supported his weight for two minutes but considering that he had never flown before that was remarkable.

Griffin laughed proudly at his achievement.

"Good Grif! Very good!" I told him beaming as I pulled him back into my arms. We continued to fly over New York for hours. Angel met us around four. Griffin flew over into her arms. Her face was priceless when he did. I hadn't enjoyed flying so much in two years. We didn't touch the ground again that day until seven that evening.

Angel grinned, "He learned how to fly before he learned how to walk that is impressive."

I nodded, "Well, he is the world's most amazing baby." I told her.

Angel stared at me as if I had just said that the sky was orange.

"What?"

"You made a witty comment." She whispered.

I cocked my head, "Yeah so?"

"You haven't made a comment like that in two years." She whispered. "You're healing." She grinned, "You are healing a lot."

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	11. Chapter 11

**Birthday**

**Fang pov**

**Approximately three years later.**

Pleased by our singing, Griffin grinned. "Cake!" or maybe it was the cake that pleased him. I felt the pang of sadness that I felt every year when Griffin had his birthday, Iggy should have made Griffin's cake. Max should have been here too, but she would take him away if she knew he existed.

Angel met my eyes and nodded before turning back to Griffin.

I sliced the cake and handed a piece to Griffin, then one to Will, then to Angel, before grabbing one for myself. We all sat down at the table and devoured it. Will was slightly more graceful than we were with it, but he didn't seem to mind that we had no table manners what so ever.

Griffin looked around when we were finished. He frowned as he did not find what he was looking for.

Angel grinned, "What are you looking for Grif?"

"Presents" Griffin answered.

Angel frowned, "Presents, Why would there be presents here?" She asked in mock confusion.

Griffin glared, "Angel! Where are my presents?"

Angel smiled, "Okay, okay, let me go see if I can find some."

Griffin smiled at her. "Thank you Angel." He said sweetly.

Angel ran out of the apartment.

Griffin gave me a quizzical look, for having just turned three he was an extremely smart boy. "Why did she need to go outside?" He asked me.

"Beats me," I lied.

Angel came back moments later carrying a box, "Do not shake it, just open it. This is from your dad and me." Angel commanded.

Griffin ripped the paper of and pulled the lid off the box.

"Arf!"

"A puppy!" Griffin cried in excitement as the puppy leaped out of the box into his waiting arms.

He turned to me and smiled, "Thanks Dad!" He cried as the puppy licked his face. It was a Toy Manchester Terrier. Angel had found it, I had never heard of the breed but Angel assured me that it would only grow to be around eight pounds at the most and that they were obedient. She also told me all that stuff you tell a parent before they let you get a pet. I got the feeling that this dog was just as much for her as it was for him.

Angel smiled at me, "Of course."

I laughed.

Griffin held the puppy in his hands and climbed down from his chair. He ran to the living room and put the puppy on the floor. He sat down in front of it and watched as the tiny puppy walked around trying to get its bearings. I sat down beside the three year old boy.

"Is it a boy or a girl Dad?" He asked me as he reached out and scratched it between its two uncropped ears.

"It's a boy." I told him.

He looked up at me with his chocolate eyes that reminded me so much of Max. "Do I get to name him?" He asked me eagerly.

I nodded smiling.

He grinned at me before turning back to the puppy. "Hey there little guy," He whispered. He pulled the black and brown puppy to him and petted it. The puppy barked and licked his hand. It was the cutest tiny dog I had ever seen. I've always thought big dogs were coolest, but this dog was up there with them.

I heard Will's heavy steps along with Angel's nearly silent ones behind me. They were walking over to us, hand in hand. I raised an eyebrow to Angel who smiled. "Hey F-Blake, can I go out with Will on Friday? We want to go see that new movie that just came out, and then maybe go get some ice cream."

"I'll think about it." I told her

Angel grinned knowing that I would cave. "okay."

"Why did you start his name with an F?" Will asked.

Angel took it with ease, "I call him Fang."

"Why?"

"He use to bite people a lot." Angel said immediately.

Wow, were did she come up with that one? I only ever bit three people.

Griffin looked up at me in alarm, his hand frozen over the puppies head, "You bite people Dad?" He asked me.

I turned to glare at Angel for a moment, "Thanks."

"Not anymore and I only ever bit mean people."

Griffin was satisfied by that. He turned back to his puppy and scratched its belly.

"My mom said I had to be home by seven tonight because I got a C on a test at school, so I guess I had better go now." Will said. "I'll see you tomorrow, bye Angel. Thanks for letting me celebrate Griffin's birthday and let me know if he likes my present."

"Bye Will," I called.

Griffin looked up and smiled, "Bye Willie!"

Will rolled his eyes as Angel laughed. "It's just Will." He told Griffin lightly, nothing would stop Griffin from calling Will what he wanted to call him.

"See you tomorrow Will." Angel said walking him to the door.

As soon as the door was shut Griffin snapped his wings out. The puppy wasn't bothered by the fact that his master had wings but was rather curious about them. It pranced over and sniffed Griffin's wing, then he barked at it, and looked to Griffin as if to ask if it was okay, and then licked his wing, his tail wagging a mile a minute.

"What are you going to name him Grif? Angel asked sitting down beside me.

Griffin frowned, "I was thinking about naming him Fox."

"Fox? Why?" Angel inquired.

"It sounds cool." Griffin said absently.

"Hey Fang, can we go flying?" Angel asked after fifteen minutes of watching Grif play with Fox.

"Grif, you want to go flying?" I asked.

"What about Fox?" He asked.

"He'll be fine in the house." I said

"Okay," Griffin said running out to the balcony. Angel was right behind him. I ran out to the balcony and vaulted onto the railing. I turned to face an amazed Griffin and a smirking Angel.

"What?" Angel asked Griffin, "You didn't know your dad had skill and is a natural show off?"

I grinned and raised my hand in farewell before allowing myself to fall backwards into the air. I watched as Angel grabbed the rail and did a back handspring like jump of the balcony; she was supremely graceful with it as she flipped through the air before snapping out her huge white wings. I rolled over and unfurled my own wings. I grinned as I caught up to Angel and waited for Griffin to dive after us. He was only four so he wasn't quite so skilled. He climbed onto the rail like I had and spread his arms to the sky before jumping off. He snapped his wings out and flew over to us.

I watched the inside of his wings which looked so much like Max's it hurt. Griffin and Angel laughed and flew around in wide arks and vertical dives while I staid frozen in the air. Max should have been here, Max should have gotten to see her son's first flight, she should have heard his first word. She should have been here in general. She should be by my side now, watching Griffin and Angel fly and enjoy a nearly carefree life. I wasn't over her, I never would be. I still missed her and I still couldn't knock on a door without thinking about her even though I didn't completely break down whenever I did so, I still thought about her; about what had happened at Anne's forever ago, about asking her out, about the days spent at her mother's house. I loved her, there was nothing more to it than that. I would always miss her and my life would never be perfect without her but what I had was good I could live with it. I would live with it, because she would never come back.

I shook myself out of my retrieve and flew after Angel and Griffin copying their moves and allowing myself to feel the exhilaration of flying, even if I was flying with one wing, I could still enjoy it, because Griffin enjoyed it.

XXX

"Are you ready for your first night of sleep as a three year old?" I asked as I tucked Griffin into his bed.

Griffin nodded, "Thank you for Fox Dad." He said putting his hand on the puppy sleeping on his bed.

I nodded, "I'm glad you like him."

He nodded before his face become thoughtful. "Hey Dad, Do I have a mom like Willy?" He whispered.

I sat down on his bed whistling silently. "Uh, yeah, you have one, most kids have a mom somewhere."

"Well where is mine?"

I sighed I didn't want to talk about this, "She lives alone." I whispered.

"Why doesn 't she live with us?"

"Well, she…flew away, she has a huge responsibility on her shoulders. She saves the world." I whispered.

"She didn't want me?"

I sighed, "Oh she wanted you more than you can imagine, and she loved you more than anyone."

Griffin digested that before asking a new question, "What was she like?"

"She was the most amazing woman in the world. She was smart, beautiful, bold, witty, strong, and kind. She was a leader, the best leader there could ever be. She saved the world many times and I would say that she still is saving it. She has your eyes, and her wings looked like the inside of yours. She taught Angel how to fly, and she was my best friend." I whispered.

"Did you love her Dad?" He asked quietly.

I nodded trying to keep myself together. "I still do."

"Even though she left us?" He asked even more quietly than his question before it. Griffin was way too deep for a three year old kid.

I nodded, "Yes Grif, even though she left us. She didn't want to leave you, it there had been a way that she could have stayed with you, or taken you with her she would have."

"What was her name?"

"Maximum, Maximum Ride. We called her Max." I said. "I'll tell you all about her and her life when you're older; right now it's time for bed." I whispered ruffling his dark hair.

"Okay, Good night Dad."

"Night Grif. Happy birthday." I whispered as I left his and Angel's room and went into my own. Angel was waiting for me sprawled out across my bed.

"You do realize that that is my bed not yours right?" I asked as I sat down beside her, sprawling out sideways across the bed as well.

She gave a quick nod. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't lie I can read minds remember?"

I laughed; it was a hard humorless laugh. "I'm the same as I always am Angel."

Angel sighed, annoyed by my stubbornness. "Whatever Fang, you know that if you don't talk about it you won't feel better about it."

"Look, I just miss her okay? I just miss her, I still feel broken and I think I've healed as much as I can. I don't want to be broken forever."

XXX

Griffin was running circles around the couch giggling uncontrollably as Fox chased him.

Angel and I were sprawled out on the couch in our usual way, I had my feet hanging off one end of it and she had hers hanging off the other.

"So, you are going to let me go out with Will, right?" She asked suddenly.

I shrugged, "I don't know."

"Oh come on Fang, it is so stupid to try to toy with me when I can hear your thoughts!" Angel said annoyed.

I shrugged again.

"Look, worst case scenario I use mind control and I'm good." She said. "Besides, he wouldn't be mean to me, and you approve of him too."

"Yeah, you can go with him, I approve."

"Okay, I have another question for you. Do you trust him?"

"Sure."

"Do you think it would be okay if I told him about my wings? I'm sure he isn't Itex. He is my best friend."

"I don't know."

"I'm going to tell him." Angel decided, "But I won't tell him about you or Grif."

"No, you can tell him about us too if are going to tell him about yourself regardless of what I say."

"Thanks Fang."

I nodded.

Life goes on whether you want it to or not. Someone once said, "Time stands still for no one." but time does stand still, just not when you want it to. Angel was growing up, I had been wrong when we left Kentucky, we would grow up, just not as fast as everyone else had.

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	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys, I'm sorry it has been so long. Here is a new chapter, please review!**

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**Search Forever**

**Third Person**

"No Max, we've been looking for a year, he doesn't want to be found. He doesn't want you because you broke him and now he has healed and he doesn't need you anymore. He has moved on, you need to too."

Max shook her head, "He needs me just like I need him! I have to find him, I have to tell him I'm sorry I Have to."

Iggy threw his hands in the air, this was getting old, "He moved on Max, we can't spend the rest of our lives looking for him when he doesn't want us to find him! I am tiered of this Max! We can't do this anymore!"

Max sighed, "Yes we can, we have to, we need to be the flock again. We can't settle down without the rest of our family!"

"They aren't family anymore Max. You have to get that through your head. They. Are. Not. Family. Angel is not your baby anymore, and Fang isn't your rock. You rely on yourself now. You are independent."

Max shook her head, "I am not, I can't do this with out him, I need my baby." Then she broke down into tears. Her baby. She had only seen him for a second and she had been drugged, she had know the father but she couldn't remember who it was, and now, her baby, her own flesh and blood baby, was dead. He was gone and he couldn't be found and Fang wasn't here to hold her. Why had she left him? She had known, she had known how much he needed her, and she had left him anyway. She could never find her baby but she could find him, and Angel, she could find her Angel.

"Max you have to give this up. I'm taking Nudge and Gazzy to your mother's house, you need to come too. You can't do this anymore." Iggy whispered softly, putting an arm around her.

Max shrugged him off, he wasn't Fang, he couldn't help. He didn't understand either. He didn't understand the horrible pain that came with losing a son, a real son. It hurt her like a stab to the heart. It never stopped, she had scared Nudge and Gazzy many a night with her moans for her lost son. It was worse than the need for Fang or Angel, it was worse than death.

She shook her head doggedly, "No, I have to find him Iggy. I have to."

"Max, you are our leader and we all love you, but we can't do this anymore. Good luck, I hope for your sake that you can find him, but we are going to your mom's. When you can't find him, come home and we will be waiting." He whispered.

Max nodded closing her eyes. She really didn't want this, she didn't want them anymore split up than they already were but there was nothing she could do. She had to find Fang and Angel.

"Take care of them Iggy, guard them with your life, don't let anyone hurt them." She whispered defeated.

Iggy nodded, "I will Max."

"Take watch for me okay?"

"sure." Iggy said.

Max walked away from the sleeping remains of her family, out of hearing range and cried. She tiredly climbed into a tree and hugged it tightly. She cried and sobbed and mourned till morning.

XXX

Gazzy looked down at Max, he had gotten taller than her in the past year. He had grown up now, he wasn't her little trouper anymore. "Find Angel Max. Tell me where she is or tell her where I am, I miss my sister Max."

Max nodded it stung that he wasn't coming to look with her but Iggy's logic seemed to make since to all of them. They really believed that Fang and Angel didn't want to be found. She had gotten Fang's cell phone number from Gazzy three years ago, but Angel and Fang had changed their numbers after that. It was Max's fault that Angel didn't call her brother anymore.

Nudge had tears in her eyes, "Tell them that we're so sorry. That we want them back too." She whispered before hugging Max tightly. Max squeezed her back.

"I will. Take care of Iggy and Gazzy, don't let them blow anybody up. I love you guys." She whispered back.

Nudge nodded.

Iggy smiled sadly in her direction, "We'll call you when we get there. Be safe."

With that they left and she was on her own. The smallest tiny fraction of her was almost relieved because if they weren't with her, she wouldn't have to fly anymore.

She started hiking to the nearest town. She could find a library and look for him from there. She would find him, no matter what it took she would find him. She would search forever if that was necessary. Then she would beg him to take her back, she would explain herself and beg him to hold her again. As she sat down at the computer in the California library and began her search, she had no idea that on the other side of the country, he was missing her just as much.

**I know it was short,**

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	13. Chapter 13

**Doors**

**Third person**

"Yeah, I know….It doesn't matter, I have to keep trying…I don't really care how long it takes… That's great, I'll come see you all after I finish checking out these apartments…I love you guys too…I will, bye." The woman snapped her phone shut and knocked on the door in front of her. She was in around twenty eight years old but her eyes seemed much older. She had been though a lot in those twenty eight long years. Her face was tan but from dirt and lack of showers rather than the sun. She had dirty blond hair that was pulled back into a messy pony tail.

A young woman answered it. "Hello, who are you?" She asked wearily.

"Um, I'm sorry; I think I have the wrong address. I'm…looking for an old friend." The bedraggled stranger said.

The young woman's face brightened, "Oh, what is your friend's name? Maybe I can help."

The stranger thought about it for a while. "I'm not sure what name he is using now."

The young woman's face grew dark, "Oh, well if he changed his name then he probably doesn't want to be found." She said before she shut the door.

The stranger sighed and left the apartment. The young woman's words stung.

She tried three more apartments looking for him, but she didn't have any luck. She rented out a rundown hotel room where shady deals were being made in every room other than hers. She laid down on the wimpy excuse for a mattress. To her it was extremely soft, she had slept in a subway tunnel the night before and a tree the night before that. She didn't sleep well; she hadn't slept well in five years.

The next morning she decided to try one last apartment, then she would go back home. Not that she could actually call it home; it was just a house with most of her family in it. The two most important members weren't there so it didn't feel like home, nowhere felt like home anymore. She would stay at the house for a week at the most than she would head back out, and start searching again. She would never stop, not even if it killed her.

This apartment was different than most of the others she had been to, it was nicer, and even from the outside it looked more homey. As she stepped up to the door she her hopes sank, she heard laughing inside, she didn't recognize that laugh; this was probably another dead end.

She had to try. It was possible that this was it and they had just moved on without her, she wouldn't have blamed them. She had to know. She had to mark this apartment off her list before she could leave.

Max took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

**I know it was short but I promise the next chapter will be longer.**

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	14. Chapter 14

This is the final chapter, I have really enjoyed writing this story, I want to thank all my reviewers, and readers.

I will miss this story and I don't know how some of you will feel about this chapter, but here it is, review, even if this chapter is horibly crappy and you hate it, I won't be mad, review one last time please.

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**Not so Nice Walk in the Park**

**Fang pov**

"Dad!"

"Fang!"

"Angel! I was calling him!"

"Whatever Grif."

"Dad!"

I looked up from my computer to see Griffin standing in front of me. "You have to come play with us." He told me matter-of-factly.

I smiled at him. "What are we playing?"

"The racing game." He told me.

I closed the laptop and followed him into the living room, sitting down beside him I picked up the Xbox controller. "Okay Grif, I'll play but only if you want to lose."

Angel laughed from her place on the floor, "Fang, he is the best you don't have a chance." She told me as she selected her car.

I shrugged, "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

We picked cars and the race was on. Griffin, as always, was kicking butt.

We had one lap left when someone knocked on the door and Fox barked to let us know. "I'll get it." I said as Griffin paused the game.

"Hurry, I am about to win." Griffin told me.

The person knocked again.

"Hang on!" I called to whoever was on the other side. Fox was pawing at the door and barking madly in excitement. Fox, drop it." I commanded. He stopped barking immediately. "Good boy, back." I commanded.

He trotted away from the door but stayed beside it waiting to see the visitor. He sat down to watch.

I opened the door watching him wearily as I did so, "Stay. Sorry I-" I stopped mid sentence as I saw the person standing on my doorstep. My breath caught in my throat as I stared her. This was either a really good dream or a really bad one.

Her mouth hung open in a small o as she stared back in me in nearly as much shock as I was in. It was most likely the facial hair and the hair cut that astounded her. She recovered her voice before I did. "Fang?"

Griffin ran over to me at that moment, "Dad, come on,"

Fear ran through me as he ran up to me. "Uh, take me out; you can play with Angel for now. I'll play later. Go, go now." I whispered, praying that she didn't recognize him. She was dazed and her eyes didn't leave mine.

Griffin grinned, "Okay. Come Fox." Fox followed his master back to the living room.

"My gosh, it really is you." She whispered.

This couldn't be real. There was no way. I continued to stand there in shock.

Fear flashed in her eyes, "do you know who I am?" She asked, her voice no more than a whisper.

I nodded. Of course I knew who she was I could never forget her. I didn't know what to do though, what could she possibly want? She couldn't want him. She didn't know about him. What if she did? What if that was why she was here? My blood ran cold.

She wasn't though she couldn't be. She just stood there staring at me. Staring at me like she cared, like she had missed me. I made a decision to take a chance and grabbed my jacket, "Angel, I'll be back, Keep Griffin safe." I called.

"Kay Fang."

I stepped outside and shrugged into my jacket. "We can't talk here." I told her as I locked the door behind me.

She exhaled in relief. She looked horrible. "What are you doing here?" I asked as we walked down the street.

"Looking for you."

"Why?"

She looked down at her feet, "I-I need you. I miss you I've missed you ever since I left you." She whispered.

"What do you mean you need me Max?" I demanded. "You haven't needed me for five years, why do you suddenly need me now?"

"I needed you the whole time, I was wrong to do what I did. I realized it a month after I left you. Then they caught me."

My defenses were already falling I was having a hard time not taking her word for it and taking her back, because I wanted her back. "You could have told me that last time you saw me." I pointed out.

"You said to leave, and you weren't there, it was like you were a whole different person. And I- I had-" she stopped and looked down.

"You what?"

"I had just lost my son." She whispered. "I was depressed and confused and broken."

I laughed humorlessly at the idea of her being broken. "You weren't half as broken as I was." I said bitterly.

"Really, because I'm still broken and you don't look very broken to me, you look like you've been pretty d*** happy with your son!" She yelled in a whisper.

I shook my head. "Max you're an idiot. Is the hair really throwing you off so much that you don't even know me anymore?"

"No, what's throwing me off is that you have a son and that you looked pretty happy with him!"

"Gosh Max! I can't believe you! Yeah, my son makes me happy, he is my son! But he doesn't take away the pain he doesn't completely heal the wound. I'm still broken I still can't knock on a freaking door! I'm still not who I use to be."

Something flashed in Max's eyes at the door comment, as if to say, 'it really was true' but I was too overwhelmed and worked up to notice. Then she became the Max I know and love, the one that never backs down and will go up against anyone. She yelled back at me angrily, "Look Fang, I was wrong okay, I'm sorry. I never should have kicked you out. I shouldn't have listened to you when you told me to go. I am sorry. But I've been looking for you for four years and I finally found you. They looked for you with me for a year, but then they decided that you didn't want to be found; Iggy is in charge of them now. They are staying with my mom but they miss you too. They want you back too, they think they are respecting your wishes. Angel hates me, you hate me, I hate me! But here I'm and I'm sorry."

"Max, I don't hate you." I said quietly. Why did it have to be her? "I never hated you. I just don't trust you anymore."

"Well what can I do to make you trust me?" Max demanded.

"I don't know Max."

"Well do you think we could just try to be friends for a little while?"

I shrugged what could it hurt, "Sure."

"So how's your life been?"

"It's okay I guess, it isn't good, but it's okay. It has its moments. Griffin has his moments. Angel has a boyfriend."

"She what?"

"You heard me."

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's young, carefree, and he gets embarrassed easy. But he likes Angel a lot and she likes him. I checked him out, checked his mom out, and his cat."

Max laughed, "Speaking of pets, what about that dog of yours?"

"Fox? Angel got him for Griffin last year for his birthday."

"Hm, I never thought you would be a dog person." Max mused.

I shrugged, "I'm not but the look on his face when he saw it was worth it."

"What about him? He is obviously yours, so who's your girlfriend?" she asked, her voice was tight.

"She left me."

"Why?" Max asked sharply.

"Same reason you did."

"Oh," Max fell silent and we continued to walk. "I'm sorry." She said quietly.

"Don't say that."

"Why?"

"Because you don't mean it."

"Yes I-"

"No, you either don't care about me, Which is most likely, or you do care about me and you are jealous." I stated.

Max was dumb founded by this statement.

"Well are you going to tell me which one it is?" I asked bitterly.

"I'm jealous." Max whispered.

Something in her words sounded true. "Do you fly a lot?"

"Not anymore, it hurts to fly. I only fly when I have to."

I turned down a dark alley and stopped in the middle of it. "Show me your wings." I commanded.

"What? Why?" She asked confused.

"Just let me see them." I said.

She shrugged and let her wings spread out behind her.

My eyes widened, they were exactly like Griffins only the black on the back was a copy of the inside. I had known they were similar but not like this. I had missed her wings.

"What?" Max asked checking out her wings herself to make sure they weren't deformed.

I shook my head, "They are different than they were last time I saw you."

Max shrugged and started to continue down the alley.

"Max wrong way." I said.

"Why?" Max asked. "Why not go my way?"

I shrugged, "That way comes out on the pier which goes to the beach."

She immediately turned and started walking the opposite way. "So tell me about your son." She said. She seemed to choke out the last word.

"Griffin, he's amazing. He has his mother's eyes. His mother has the most beautiful eyes in the world." I said watching her chocolate brown eyes intently.

I saw pain flash across them.

"He is smart, and he is extremely mature for a five year old. Like we were. He is just as stubborn as me. He makes snap decisions like his mom did. He is always getting into trouble, falling in the trash can, snapping his wings out when he shouldn't, taking dangerous dives, stuff like that. He learned to fly before he could walk and to talk before he could crawl."

"Wow, he sounds like a really amazing kid." Max said quietly.

I nodded, "He is."

Max fell silent for a while. "Could I meet him?" She whispered some time later. "Griffin I mean.

Oh crap.

"Why would you want to meet him?" I asked not letting my reluctances show.

She looked stung. "Because whether you believe me or not, I do care about you and I want to meet your family." She said quietly but firmly.

I shook my head. "You really care about me?" I asked.

She nodded before she turned and pressed her lips to mine. My hands went to her waist pulling her closer to me immediately. I didn't care for that moment. I didn't care that she didn't really love me, that she would leave me again. More broken than before. All I cared about was her. I kissed her like there was no tomorrow and she didn't pull away. She stayed in my arms and kissed me back. I loved her. I loved her more than anything in the world. Not breaking the kiss, I pulled us back into the shadow of the ally and spread my wings, wrapping them around her. As far as I was concerned at that moment, she was mine again. I had always been hers.

Eventually we broke apart breathing hard. "You can't ever leave me again. Ever." I whispered as I looked deep into her beautiful chocolate eyes.

She nodded, "Not even if my life depends on it."

I smiled and hugged her. Then I pulled back and smiled once more, "Let's fly."

"I haven't flown with two wings in so long." Max mused.

I laughed, "Neither have I." with that I ran and leaped into the sky. She followed.

"Hey Fang! I love you!" She yelled.

I nodded smirking. "I love you too. The only difference is that I never stopped and you did." I shouted back to her.

"But you did, you had too. You have a kid!" Max pointed out confused.

I shook my head, "I have our kid. He is the son they told you you lost. Angel and I rescued him the day we rescued you."

"You knew he was alive and you didn't tell me?" Max demanded looking murderous.

I nodded. "In my defense, I was half dead, and you would have taken him and I wouldn't even have gotten to name him." I said hoping she didn't kill me.

"Wait. **Our** son? That was our son? You and me? That little boy with the black hair was my son too?"

I nodded. "That's why we couldn't talk in the house. If you had seen his face , you would have known, or if you had seen the inside of his wings. They are a replica of yours on the inside and mine on the outside. He's smart too. Had he heard me call you Max, he would have put two and two together. He would have figured that you were the great Maximum Ride."

"Let me meet him. Take me to him now." Max commanded.

I nodded and spun back toward the apartment, smiling at the exhilaration of flying with both my wings again. I landed on the balcony railing, and jumped down to the ground. Max wasn't so graceful. Angel looked out at us and her mouth dropped open. I opened the sliding door and walked in to be attacked by Griffin in hug form.

"Is she back for good?" Angel asked.

I smiled and nodded.

Angel searched through max's thoughts for a minute before smiling.

Griffin leaned his head around my legs, which he was hugging in a death grip, and stared at Max. He then looked back up at me worriedly. "Dad, her wings are like mine." He whispered anxiously."

I picked him up and smiled. "Yes, she does. Griffin, this is Max."

"Dad, can I talk to you?" Griffin asked copying what he often saw angel do to me when she was annoyed. Angel and I laughed at him. Max was just staring at him like he was the world.

I turned to Max and smiled guiltily. "We'll be right back." I whispered before walking into Griffin's room.

"Like, Mom Max?" Griffin asked.

I nodded.

He nodded as well as he digested this piece of information. Then he grinned "Okay, thanks." He said. Then he raced back out of the room and into Max's arms. "Dad says you're my mommy." He told her excitedly.

Max grinned, "He's right. I am your mommy."

"Willy has a mommy, Dad said that everyone has a mommy but some mommies can't stay with you because they have to save the world." He told her.

"Well, you know, your dad knows almost everything."

He turned and pointed to Angel, "Do you know Angel Mommy? She's my sister-aunt." He told her matter-of-factly.

Angel laughed. "Your mommy taught me how to fly." She told him standing up. Then she ran to Max and Griffin and hugged them. "You really are back for good. I'm sorry I didn't believe you Max." She whispered.

Max put a wing on Angel's shoulder because her hands were full. "It was my fault Angel. I left you first." She whispered.

Angel pulled back. "I think you have almost been through enough for me to forgive you and I will for now." Angel said stepping back and flopping back down on the couch. I flopped down on the other side letting my head rest just below hers like always and called Griffin and Max inside. Max sat down in the chair beside Angel and I.

I watched as she watched our son and listened to him tell her stories. Her face was alight with joy and a smile was spread wide across her face. Angel tapped my shoulder. I mentally acknowledged her.

"She kissed you didn't she."

"Yep."

"Gosh Fang, even after five years she still has you wrapped around her finger." Angel teased.

I smirked. "She is staying right, she isn't planning on taking him away."

I felt Angel shake her head. "Not a chance. The kiss seemed to have the same effect on her that it did on you."

I smiled to myself. "Well I am just awesome like that."

Angel laughed.

Griffin hopped down from Max's lap and jumped on top of me. "Hey Dad, is Mommy going to stay?" He asked me.

"If she doesn't Angel will come after her like-well, Omega after Max." I said.

Angel and Max laughed. Griffin only frowned. "What's an Omega?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Griffin snapped his two four foot wingspan out, draping one over the back of the couch and letting the other hang lazily off the other side. "Dad, I want to go flying. You still have to teach me to jump onto the railing." He said.

"You still aren't tall enough."

"Yes I am, I grew three inches since last year when I asked you."

I rolled my eyes. "Three inches isn't enough." I told him.

Griffin rolled his eyes. "Da-ad." He moaned.

I shook my head. "Nope. I won't have you getting hurt because I let you try something I knew you couldn't do."

"Can we go flying anyway?"

I nodded.

"Yay!" Griffin jumped off of my chest and ran out to the balcony, climbing onto the rail. "Angel, Max, Flying time." I said pulling myself off the couch.

Angel jumped up and ran at my side to the balcony. Max was on our heels. Griffin stood on the railing impatiently. I vaulted up onto it and turned around before freefalling. Angel did her signature back handspring like thing and Griffin freefell face down.

Max hit the railing and looked over at us worriedly. I grinned at her and turned toward Griffin. "Now." I said rolling over and snapping my wings out. He and Angel did the same. We flew back up to where Max was standing on the balcony watching us.

After she got over Griffins wings she smirked at me. "Still a showoff, I see."

I shrugged, "Whatever, come on."

She flashed a smile at me and dove out towards me. She spread her wings. Griffin laughed and twisted away flying towards the open sky. Max veered after him followed by Angel. I hung back and watched. Max looked so happy. Angel had a look on her face that I hadn't seen in a very long time. Griffin flew back over to me, "Dad, come on!"

I nodded and flew after him.

I wasn't broken anymore. Part of the flock still wasn't there but we would go get them soon. There were still things to be taken care of and trials to overcome, but I would be taking these on with a clean bill of health. I was complete.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading this story!

Please review,

PS: If I get the inspiration there might be one final epolouge chapter,

but intill poven otherwize this story is complete.

Skipp Out


	15. Chapter 15

**I finally have an epilogue,**

**I dedicate this to all my reviewers, **

**Thank you for the inspiration Reviewers. **

**And everyone else!

* * *

**

Back together again and for always

Angel paced the living room in front of Fang and Max feeling sixteen again. "I can't wait," She declared.

"Will will wonder where you are." Fang pointed out.

Angel paused to look at him, "I want to go so bad Fang! Please, I'll be safe let me go." She begged.

Fang didn't want to let her go; she could hear it echoing in his thoughts. He didn't have to voice his hesitation she heard it and responded before he could even open his mouth.

"You know I could kick eraser but if I needed to. I'm not six anymore. I'm going to be twenty one in six weeks! Let me go. I can do this I'll be fine."

Max was dying to step in but Angel's occasional glares of warning kept her silent. Angel couldn't bring herself to completely forgive her yet. The memories of Fang curled up in a ball of pain with his wings wrapped around himself were still too strong in her mind. She could see what Max had gone through since the split and it wasn't as bad as what Fang and Angel had had to go through. Max had still had the rest of the flock and even when she had been at the school, she had been well taken care of. Fang and Angel had had too many days where they didn't know what they were going to eat before Fang went to Jeb. Max had been broken but Fang had been broken for Max, she had been broken for Griffin. Max hadn't been there and Angel couldn't drop the grudge just yet.

Fang sighed feeling trapped. "You call me when you get there. If I don't hear from you in twenty four hours I'm going to come after you and take you home, I don't care what is going on you will come back home."

Angel smiled. "Thanks Fang! I promise I will."

Fang nodded, "If anyone tries to stop you kick their a** okay?"

Angel grinned and nodded before hugging him tightly. "I'll be back in two days. And Fang? Don't try to cook order takeout, you just aren't that good." Angel told him.

Fang smiled, "Really, I think I cook pretty well."

Angel shook her head, "Your no chef, get good food, it will be a special dinner."

Fang smirked and let her go.

Angel turned to Max. She wanted to forgive her but she couldn't bring herself to do it yet. She sighed.

Max looked at her pleadingly. "Just give it to me, show me what I missed so you can forgive me.

Angel nodded despite Fang's frantic thoughts. Angel only gave Max some of it though. Planting the memory of the day she left and the breakdown at her door. She gave her the memories of the nights they went hungry. She didn't give her the nights she had watched Fang completely breakdown, the nights he had cried for her. The days when he hadn't been able to fly, she didn't let Max see the way Fang had existed for those first three months where he hadn't spoken and had eaten the bare minimum. She didn't let her see the shell of a man that Fang had been. Fang would be mad if she did, and Max couldn't think that Fang wasn't strong. She planted the memories in Max's mind so she could go back and sift through them later.

Then Angel hugged Fang, and Griffin, then, she waved to Max. "Now, I can forgive you." She whispered before turning and leaving.

* * *

Angel didn't land at the Martinez house immediately, but circled over it for a while first. She didn't let herself find their minds at first, she couldn't do it yet. A tear trailed down her cheek, her brother, her other brother, her sister, she hadn't seen them in so long. She had missed them every day, but now there they were, Angel wasn't the same person she had been the last time she saw her brother. She wasn't a little girl anymore, and she had hardened out a lot since then. She had learned to hold a grudge and she had lost the innocence that only a child knows.

She was a lot like Max had been. She was tough, down to earth, and above all, she was a fighter. She wasn't sure that Gazzy would understand that. She knew he would be expecting his baby sister, but he wasn't going to get his baby angel, he was getting the new Angel, the one that had a boyfriend, and didn't mind making Max hurt. Would Gazzy accept that? Would any of them?

Angel took a deep breath and dropped to the ground silently.

* * *

Gazzy inched the wire into place, he had gotten better than Iggy when it came to bomb building. He grinned at his handy work and leaned back, scratching the sparse hair that he claimed was a beard on his face. Then he heard something that made his heart stop. Nudge screamed.

Gazzy didn't bother with the hallway, steps or door, but jumped out the window and circled around to the other side of the house.

Adrenalin rushed through his body, they hadn't been attacked since the split but the memories of fighting and tearing apart flyboys or erasers were still fresh as they had ever been. But it wasn't erasers, it never was, sometimes it was Ella's boyfriend, or Iggy's fiancée, but never someone to hurt. He didn't recognize this girl though.

She was tall, thin, and she had curly blonde hair. Gazzy could only see her back, he couldn't see her face, but he could see Nudge's she was pale, and frozen in shock. As if she had heard him the girl turned to find him, now it was Gazzy's turn to freeze in shock.

No, this wasn't possible, she couldn't, she was.

"Angel."

Angel smiled at him; her face was streaked with tears. Then she ran to him. And they embraced. The rest of the world forgotten, they were back together, he had his little sister back and that was all that mattered.

"I missed you so much Gazzy." Angel told him.

"I missed you too Angel I missed you more than anything. I'm so sorry, I should have looked for you, I shouldn't have let Max leave you I should have- I-I should have-"

Angel cut him off, "Stop. Stop now, it is over, I never blamed you for this. It wasn't your fault, and we were never hiding from you. We just moved around a lot."

"Well, what are you doing here? Where is Fang? How did you get here? Where are you coming from? What have you been doing?"

Angel laughed, "You sound like Nudge. Fang is back home, with, Max, and Griffin. You have to come home with me. Fang is ordering dinner, and Will will be there, we need to catch up. We aren't the same people we were before the split, we need to get reacquainted. I want you to meet Will."

"Who? With Max? She found you? I'm so confused!" Gazzy exclaimed hugging his sister as tightly as he could.

Nudge finally found her legs and sprinted over to them bombarding Angel with even more questions. Iggy came home with Sara later, and Angel filled him in as well. He felt the worst, for not looking for her. It had driven something of a tear in the friendship between Iggy and Gazzy (they were still best friends, but things were different and they didn't do so much together.)

* * *

**Fang Pov**

"So she has another brother?" Will asked. It was obvious that he was completely lost.

I nodded while Max stood in the corner of the room assessing the young man that I had come to consider family.

Will ran a hand through his hair. "She never told me that."

I sighed. "We haven't seen him in a very long time. It was painful for her to think about it much less talk about him."

Will nodded, "Okay, so she had a reason for it."

I nodded, "He is like us, so is she." I said nodding back to Max.

Will's eyes lit up. "Oh, one of those brothers! Gazzy! She told me about him. I thought, well, I don't actually know what I was thinking."

"You told him about us?" Max demanded.

I nodded, "Angel trusts him, I trust him he is not Itex. I even had Jeb check him out."

Max sighed and leaned back into her corner. I wasn't sure why she was standing in the corner, but if she wanted to be there I wasn't going to argue. Griffin suddenly shot out of his room and jumped over the couch, sitting beside me.

"When will Angel be back?" He asked pulling on my arm.

I looked down at him and answered, "Soon."

Will grinned, "I can't believe you let her go Fang."

I shrugged, "She can be a very persuasive person."

Max stayed in her corner but joined the conversation a little as we continued to talk.

**Third person**

"They are here." Griffin interjected knowingly.

"How do you know?" Will asked excitedly.

Griffin laughed and ran out to the balcony.

Will was right behind him.

Sure enough Angel landed on the balcony seconds later, hugging her boyfriend and kissing him. He kissed her back pulling her closer. "I was worried about you. Fang didn't look happy about you being gone so I was really worried about you." Will whispered kissing her forehead.

Angel smiled and someone coughed behind them. Angel took a deep breath smiling, "Will, that's Gazzy, don't worry, I won't let him hurt you."

Gazzy stood behind her eyeing Will skeptically.

Will shrugged, "Hey, please don't kill me."

"If you break her heart I will."

Angel huffed, "Gazzy! I told you, Fang has that covered." Then she picked Griffin up, ruffling his hair.

"Whoa, whoa Whoa. Who is that?" Gazzy demanded looking from Angel to Will to Griffin franticly.

Angel's face twisted in discus. "Gazzy! HOW ON EARTH COULD YOU THINK THAT?" She demanded angrily. "He is Fang's son! NOT MINE YOU IDIOT!"

Nudge landed on the balcony then. "What? Did you just say Fang has a kid? A son, are you serious? No way. I don't believe it."

Griffin waved at her, "Yo."

Nudge squealed. "Can I hold him?" She asked.

Angel looked to Griffin, "Grif, this is Nudge."

"She can't hold me." Griffin said firmly. He jumped down from Angel's arms and ran to his dad.

"Let's go inside, come on, Fang is inside and it is getting crowded out here." Angel said.

They all filed inside. "Angel, I thought you said he was in here." The Gasman said looking around.

Angel's brow furrowed and then she laughed. "No way."

"No way, what?" They all asked.

Angel laughed, "I can't tell you."

Griffin ran out of his room to Angel's arms. "Angel! Dad is kissing Max!" He said. "Dad is kissing Max really hard!"

Angel laughed at both, him and the flabbergasted expressions of those around her, "I know, you should hear his thoughts. On second thought, it is better that you can't."

"Um Angel, does Griffin's mom know about Max?" Gazzy asked worriedly.

Griffin turned to Gazzy, "I hope she knows about herself." He said seriously.

"Max is Griffin's mom." Angel said.

"How?"

Angel huffed and explained it all to them finishing just as someone knocked on the door.

Fang came out of his room then looking around surprised. He ran a hand through his hair, "Oh, hey kids." He said before going to get the door.

Max came out a moment later stopping short in the doorway and looking at all of them in shock. "We, We didn't expect you to get here so soon." She said.

Fang opened the door to find a couple about his age at his door. He recognized the man immediately. "Iggy?"

"Fang? Fang! I'm so sorry; I thought you didn't want us to find you. I wouldn't have wanted us to find me. I'm so sorry. If I had known."

Fang pulled the man into the apartment, "Don't it's fine. Just don't."

Angel rolled her eyes. "Hey Fang, is that Iggy? Tell him it's about time!"

Soon they were all plied into the living room exchanging stories. "And I met Sara there and we started going out and now we are getting married in three weeks." Iggy finished.

Fang nodded, "Well congrats man, and Sara, good to meet you."

"Hey Max were you really kissing Fang before we came in?" The Gasman asked.

Max nodded as Fang leaned over and kissed her. Angel leaned over and kissed Will.

Fang hugged Max's waist as they peaked out of his bed room, Iggy and Sara were in Angel and Griffin's room, and Griffin was on the floor in Fang's room. Gazzy, Angel, and Nudge were curled up on a chair, the couch or the floor, sleeping contently.

Fang sighed contented, "This is how it should be. This is how it always should be."

* * *

**Six months later.**

"I never thought we would get married." Max mused marveling at the simple ring on her finger as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Fang shrugged, "I never thought you'd say yes."

"What about kids?"

Fang laughed, "I was thinking two more."

"I was thinking five." Max said.

Fang laughed again. "Angel, Nudge, Gazzy, Griffin, and five more? I don't think we could handle it!"

"We can handle anything, you and me."

"We would have to buy a bigger house."

"We could do that." Max said getting up and pulling him over to her.

He kissed her passionately, pulling her as close as was physically possible. No one but himself, Angel, and Max would ever remember or even really know how broken he had been. There wasn't even a scar from it. "We can have as many as you want Max." Fang whispered against her lips.

**That is seriously the end.**

**There will be no sequel I am sorry to say.**

**This is my favorite of the ones I've written,**

**I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.**

**Please review one last time.**

**SR out**


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